Amid fierce opposition from anti-peace factions, thousands of Israelis are set to gather in Jerusalem this weekend for the first time since the war began—united under one banner: the People’s Peace Summit.
Led by more than 60 Jewish and Arab civil society organizations, the summit is a bold initiative aimed at delivering a powerful message of hope, partnership, and reconciliation—even as the Israeli government signals a possible escalation of its military operations in Gaza.
The multi-day event began on Thursday with cultural programming across the city, including film screenings, concerts, and art exhibits featuring Jewish and Arab creators. The centerpiece, however, takes place Friday at the Jerusalem International Convention Center, where attendees will participate in a full-day conference with 12 simultaneous sessions. Topics range from political alternatives and new security paradigms to civic reconciliation, peace education, and live performances by top Israeli artists.
The “Time is Now” coalition formed about a year ago in response to the ongoing war. Its first major event, held in July in Tel Aviv, drew 6,000 people to a basketball stadium to demand the return of the hostages and advocate for a new path toward peace. In December, the coalition marched the length of Israel, from north to south, stopping in 14 Jewish and Arab cities along the way.
“We are calling to end the war,” said the summit’s content manager, Mika Almog. She told The Media Line that the group is pushing for immediate change and looking toward the region’s long-term future.
Thousands have already registered to attend the summit, including several high-profile anti-war activists. Among them is the pilot who spearheaded a letter, signed by hundreds of current and former Israeli pilots, calling for an end to the war in Gaza to bring the hostages home.
Other key highlights include a political panel featuring former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and former senior Palestinian minister Nasser Al-Kidwa, who will unveil a new joint peace initiative. Ambassadors from France, the Netherlands, and other countries are expected to attend, though some may be unable to arrive due to flight cancellations. The summit will also feature personal testimonies from bereaved families and survivors who continue to choose peace despite their pain.
Several Palestinians will join the event via Zoom after being unable to obtain permits to enter Israel. In addition, video addresses will be played from international leaders who support the initiative, including French President Emmanuel Macron and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.
It is very clear to us that to create a different reality, we have to be able to imagine it, plan it, and cooperate to make it happen.
“It is very clear to us that to create a different reality, we have to be able to imagine it, plan it, and cooperate to make it happen,” Almog said.
Another primary focus of the summit is the engagement of Israel’s Arab population, explained Somaya Bashir, who heads the Arab women’s division of Women Wage Peace, an NGO nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.
Somaya Bashir (Courtesy)
Bashir told The Media Line that “no one is paying attention” to the 20% of the Israeli population that is Arab.
Their leaders do not speak for them, and they are not seen. I want to put them on the map, to speak about their pain, but also show that they are very much a part of Israel – that they are upstanding citizens.
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“Their leaders do not speak for them, and they are not seen,” Bashir said. “I want to put them on the map, to speak about their pain, but also show that they are very much a part of Israel – that they are upstanding citizens.”
She said the event holds particular significance for her community because it is being held at the Jerusalem International Convention Center, where several far-right politicians, including Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, have hosted events and called for “war” on Arab communities in the past.
“We need to be there and take it back,” Bashir said, “to show we also represent this country.”
She added that peace might sound like a dream, but shouldn’t be.
We need to go against extremism. We all want peace.
“We need to go against extremism,” she told The Media Line. “We all want peace.”
Bashir explained that although she has led Arab women toward peace for years, it became much more difficult after October 7, when many people became afraid to speak out. Still, she persevered—and now, she said, her following has returned.
Both Almog and Bashir acknowledged they’ve received tremendous criticism for hosting a peace-focused event during wartime. But Almog resisted the criticism.
“There is no time more urgent to talk about peace than during war. When someone gets cancer, you don’t say let’s look into treatment when the illness is over.
“The problem is now,” she continued. “Our kids are dying,” she said, referring to the hundreds of Israeli soldiers who have been killed fighting in Gaza. Her children are 18 and 20, and she fears becoming a bereaved parent.
Not everyone agrees with the summit’s message. Avi Abelow, chief executive officer of 12 Tribe Films and a far-right activist, sharply criticized the event.
“It is heartbreaking to see Israelis gather for an anti-war summit while we still have 59 hostages held by a barbaric jihadist enemy rooted in a 1,400-year-old ideology that still chants ‘Khaybar, Khaybar ya yahud’ with pride of repeating more massacres of innocent Jews as they did in Khaybar back in the 7th century,” he told The Media Line.
“October 7 wasn’t a misunderstanding—it was evil, loud and clear, and the most dangerous thing we can do is ignore what our enemies openly say they intend to do to us. This kind of willful blindness isn’t just naive—it’s suicidal,” Abelow said.
But Almog rejected that argument.
We often get accused of being detached or disconnected dreamers, but at the end of the day, there are only two options. One is to make peace. This is a long and arduous process and requires a lot of work from us, the Palestinians, and the world. The alternative is to live this life where we know our children are going to die.
“We often get accused of being detached or disconnected dreamers, but at the end of the day, there are only two options,” Almog said. “One is to make peace. This is a long and arduous process and requires a lot of work from us, the Palestinians, and the world. The alternative is to live this life where we know our children are going to die.”
She said, “I find it absurd” that people tell her she is detached when discussing peace. She believes that “if we can create a platform as wide and diverse as the public it represents, then we can get more and more people to speak up.”
Almog argued that there’s a misconception that the Israeli public no longer wants peace or will not respond to peace efforts simply because the conversation hasn’t been held for so long.
Our theory says the peace camp is much bigger and wider and more diverse than it appears to be. When people say they oppose peace, they do not even know what they oppose. They are being fed this idea of total victory.
“Our theory says the peace camp is much bigger and wider and more diverse than it appears to be,” she said. “When people say they oppose peace, they do not even know what they oppose. They are being fed this idea of total victory.”
Abelow, however, insisted that the only viable outcome is military dominance.
“Our enemies have made it painfully clear that only total Israeli control of Gaza can prevent another October 7,” Abelow said. “Every single area Israel has handed over—whether in Lebanon or Gaza—has become a terror base used to murder our people. Ignoring this truth isn’t just foolish—it’s insane and suicidal.
“The only end to this war to protect Israelis is with total victory that ensures the destruction of Hamas, the implementation of Trump’s emigration plan, and resettling Gaza with Jewish communities,” Abelow concluded.
But Almog said she refuses to accept that rhetoric.
“If you are sick and tired of hatred and being surrounded by calls for revenge and retribution, come to Binyanei Ha’uma on Friday and breathe in a space where people are talking about life, compassion, and cooperation,” she said.